Bengals' Defensive Struggles Cost Close Games, Players Express Frustration

The Bengals lost 47-42 to the Chicago Bears after Caleb Williams hit Colston Loveland for a 58-yard game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds left, erasing Cincinnati’s late lead. Joe Flacco passed for 470 yards and four touchdowns as the offense rallied, but Cincinnati’s defense surrendered season highs (576 yards, 283 rushing, 30 first downs) and has allowed back-to-back game-winning drives at Paycor Stadium. Frustration boiled over in the locker room, with RB Chase Brown delivering an NSFW rant demanding the defense “finish the f***ing game” and WR Ja’Marr Chase visibly venting about the lack of stops. The defeat exposed complementary-football breakdowns beyond the defense, including an early drop, an offsides penalty on a missed field-goal try and a missed 54-yard kick. As the team heads into its bye week, players say they must shore up late-game defense and play complementary football to stop consecutive collapses and salvage the season.